Johnson aiming for another win at Charlotte

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - After winning the May 12 race at
Darlington and then last Saturday's all-star event, five-time Sprint Cup
Series champion Jimmie Johnson enters this weekends's Coca-Cola 600 at
Charlotte Motor Speedway with a whole lot of momentum.

If Johnson wins Sunday's 600-miler -- NASCAR's longest race of the season --
he will become the first driver to win both Cup events at Charlotte during the
month of May twice in his career. Johnson won the Charlotte double in 2003.

Other drivers who have won the Coca-Cola 600 and the all-star race at
Charlotte in the same season include: Darrell Waltrip (1985), Davey
Allison (1991), Dale Earnhardt (1993), Jeff Gordon (1997), Kasey Kahne (2008)
and Kurt Busch (2010).

Having won Darlington and the all-star race, as well as last week's NASCAR
Sprint Cup Pit Crew Challenge in Charlotte, Johnson's team has been on a roll.

"It definitely gives us confidence," Johnson said. "Even though we won the
race, I saw a lot of strong cars [Saturday night]. I think track position at
the end of the 600 is going to be key. Two or three pit stops from the end,
being in the right position, having the right strategy, if it's fuel, two
tires, four, none, whatever it might be, that's going to be key."

Johnson had been the most dominant driver at Charlotte, finishing no worse
than third there from May 2003 to October 2006. He is the only driver who has
won three consecutive Coca-Cola 600s (2003-05). In fact, he recorded a season
sweep at Charlotte during the '04 and '05 seasons.

However, Johnson has struggled on this 1.5-mile racetrack in the previous two
years. He has failed to finish the last two races there, placing 28th one year
ago and 34th last October. Johnson also finished 37th in the 2010 Coca-Cola
600.

"With the old track and the surface and the bumps, there was just a certain
way to drive the track, especially in [turns] three and four, a line that I
somehow developed and found that other guys wouldn't run or couldn't get their
cars to run that type of line," he said. "That doesn't exist today. So I don't
feel like it's exactly like years past.

"What we've had over the last two, three months in our cars, the grip that
we've created with the car, my car drove [last Saturday night] clearly better
than I've had here in a long time."

Johnson crashed hard into the outside wall in the 500-mile race at Charlotte
seven months ago.

In last year's 600-mile race, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was less than a half-mile
away from ending his lengthy winless streak in NASCAR's top series. Earnhardt
Jr. led the way on the final lap but ran out of fuel on the last turn,
allowing Kevin Harvick to drive past him and steal the win.

Currently third in the point standings, Earnhardt Jr. had an impressive
performance in the all-star race. He led all 40 laps to win the Sprint
Showdown and advance into the main event.

Earnhardt Jr. led the way after the fourth 20-lap segment was completed in the
all-star race. He finished fifth in the 10-lap shootout to the finish.

"I think we showed what we are capable of doing here next weekend," Earnhardt
Jr. said after the all-star race. "We are probably going to bring the same
car. We have a couple of ideas on how to make the car even faster, especially
for qualifying that I hope will work out."

Qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600 is scheduled for Thursday at 7:10 p.m. (ET).

Danica Patrick's Sprint Cup schedule continues this weekend at Charlotte.
Patrick started 38th and finished 31st at Darlington. She made her series
debut in the February 27 Daytona 500, placing 38th.

This will be the first time in seven years Patrick has not raced in the
Indianapolis 500.

"I think once I see footage on television and watch the cars going around, I'm
going to be thinking of those familiar feelings that I'm used to over the
seven years," she said.

Patrick is expected to become just the second female to compete in the Coca-
Cola 600. Janet Guthrie, in her first Cup start, finished 15th in this event
in 1976.